run, sonic, run
by keem
Summary: the rules of the game are simple: he runs, and she follows. it is a guilty indulgence in which both parties have engaged in for years.


_A/N: written as something to stand alongside my shadamy one-shot, _stardust_. sonic and amy, as they truly exist. _

** ---  
**

**run, sonic, run **

just when you think that you're in control // just when you think that you've got a hold,

just when you get on a roll // here it goes, here it goes, here it goes again.

- OK GO

Sonic was running away from Amy Rose.

Not that this was anything new. They had been constantly partaking in this game of cat and mouse since the moment they had met each other. The chase was never-ending and all-consuming, enthralling both participants with its fervor. The game was also constantly changing as Amy was forced to result to increasingly more devious tactics. in hopes of catching the cobalt hedgehog unawares. No matter how sneaky Amy thought she was, however - no matter how close she got - in the end Sonic was always on the move again, eluding capture by mere centimeters. Needless to say, there was never a dull moment between the two.

And so, the struggle endured.

If a person didn't know any better, they might say Sonic was running away because he didn't_like_ Amy. In actuality, however, this could not be farther from the truth. Because although he would never admit it to the likes of Shadow or Knuckles or even Tails - Sonic actually harbored a soft spot for Amy Rose that greatly rivaled the one she held for him. He kept this largely a secret due to two reasons: the first and foremost was to protect the information from leaking out to Robotnik, who could use the hedgehog's heart against him. Although Amy sometimes fell victim to a hostage situation by sheer bad luck, for the most part Robotnik ignored her altogether unless she deliberately intervened with his plans. By Sonic keeping his affection for Amy low profile, he was, in actuality, protecting her.

The other reason for not broadcasting this information was the simple matter that Sonic enjoyed the attention. It was his way of making things lively and interesting. The strange relationship that stemmed from this dynamic had a lot to do with Sonic a little childish, more boy than man. It was not secret that the blue hedgehog had spent his entire life playing protagonist, bypassing puberty almost entirely before plunging straight-first into a career of heroism. It was because of this that he seemed to skip over the basic fundamentals of girls and dating altogether. As a result, this was the only kind of flirting he knew how to do - playing hard to get. And either Amy knew this or else she was damnably persistent - either way, the chase continued without avail.

Sonic loved the mischevious look of blatant glee Amy wore when she sprang onto scene unexpectedly, arms outstretched, so certain she had gotten the drop on him; loved the feel of her teasing fingertips on his fur before he quickly side-stepped out of the way. He loved the windswept look of her quills as she ran, the bright-eyed, luminous stare that she wore when she was homing in on him. Every time Amy popped in and Sonic took off, he couldn't help but feel the overwhelming sensation of euphoria. With every step he carried a sense of enchantment, a thrill that left her fur standing up on end. He just couldn't _stop_, no matter how angry Amy would be with him later.

Currently Sonic was being tracked, keeping his pace at a leisurely trot as he bounced along. He was moving quickly enough to avoid capture, but slow enough to keep her interested for a while. This was apart of the pattern in which they conducted their interaction: Sonic would run, Amy would chase; Sonic would humor her for a while and then eventually blast off, leaving her to postpone the game for another day. That way, they would have something to come back to later.

"Sonic!" the pink tourmaline hedgehog cried, flailing uselessly after him as she trailed behind. She had been regaling him with a constant flow of protests since they had first taken off while the other hedgehog taunted her.

"Ammmyyy," the other hedgehog said mockingly, grinning to himself.

"_Sonic_!" she whined, swiping futilely before her as she trained in vain the bridge the gap between them. "C'mon, this isn't fair! Slow down!"

"No way I'm letting you get off that easy," Sonic said, pivoting on his heel in mid-stride so that he was facing her. Even jogging backwards he had a considerable edge over her. "C'mon Amy, aintcha having fun?"

"No!" Amy said, although his awkward position seemed to encourage her; she gave a glorious bid for his capture, leaping out with outstretched arms. Sonic laughed and twirled in mid-air, causing Amy to miss and stumble as he landed again, facing forward this time. He slowly began to pull ahead as she tried to regain her footing, half-staggering after him.

"You're soooo mean!" she huffed, panting as they began to climb the grassy slopes on the outskirts of station square. Long blades of yellow-green grass whipped at their knees, obscuring their feet from view as they began to crest a hill.

"You like it," Sonic said with a wicked grin.

Just above the mountainous region in the distance, opposite to where the Mystic Ruins were located, the sun was just settling below the horizon. The sky above them was smeared with orange and purple, flecked with pink and gold. Sonic threw one fleeting look over his shoulder at the other hedgehog and saw that the lighting from the dying sun had casted its glow on Amy's face, making her look strange and beautiful in the oncoming twilight. He felt a unique fluttering sensation in his stomach as he returned his gaze to the front, covering twice as much ground as Amy did in one of his own lazy strides.

"Where are you taking me?" Amy demanded, her gaze darting back and forth to take in their glorious surroundings. The tone of her voice was accusatory, as if there was a physical, tangible force that kept them connected, forcing her to tag along in his wake.

"Somewhere pretty." At last they reached the top of the hill where a solitary tree stood, enormous in its stature and overlooking the entire valley. Sonic was vaguely aware of Amy yelling "no, wait!" before suddenly pulling himself up into a flying leap as he came upon it, throwing up his arms as he did. He grabbed hold on one of the lower branches of the tree, twisting up and over in an acrobatic display of agility before landing on his feet. Below him Amy had came to a halt, hands on her hips as she regarded him sulkily.

"No fair!" she pouted.

"Heh." Sonic sat down, his legs draping over the edge of the branch he was positioned on. He swung them teasingly over the other hedgehog's head who tried in vain to grab ahold of him.

"Watch it!" Sonic called to her, pulling his knees up against his chest as her hands got alarmingly close. "Do you want me to fall out of the tree or something?!"

"Yes!" Amy said, jumping one last time. She swung around erratically in every which direction as she attempted to latch on. "C'mon Sonic, let me up!"

"No way!" Sonic teased, laughing. Ignoring her sounds of protest, he turned his gaze toward the heavens. "Wow, great view up here. Too bad you can't see it, huh?"

"Gah, you're impossible!" Amy said, stomping her feet angrily. "I'm leaving!" She turned around with a dramatic flourish, marching down the slope whence they came. _She's so predictable_, Sonic thought with faint amusement.. _And so, the chase will live to see another day. _

_And one day_, he thought to himself, still gazing after her retreating form. _She's gonna get tired of this. And _then_ I'm in trouble. _Although it was happening gradually, Sonic could feel the shift occurring between them. Their relationship was changing, altering, undeniably maturing - and one day, the tables would irrevokably turn. One day Amy would be mellow and grown-up and less susceptible to Sonic's games, instead inventing games of her own. One day, Amy would become the object of the pursuit, instead of the one conducting the hunt - Sonic would be the one forced to follow.

Suddenly seized with a sense of reckless bravado, Sonic thought to himself: _maybe that day is today_. Immediately he found himself swinging down from his perch upon the tree, feet making contact with the ground below. Amy was already a speck in the distance, but speed was Sonic's middle name, and so this was not an issue foremost in his mind as he broke into a run after her.

The chase was on.


End file.
